Display device



` Se'p. 6, 1932. H. J. TAPUN 1,:ir,75,676

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed May 5, 1930 vio Patented Slept. 6, 1932 UNITED 4s TA-'r'ls .PATENT OFFICE HAROLD lroHN TAPLIN, or HEW,sUn nEx, ENGLAND, nssrGNoR rro HAROLD JOHN TAP- i LIN AND SIEGFRIED HENRY KAUFMANN, OF LONDON, `ENGLAND pIsrLAY nEvIoE. 1

Application led May 5, 193i), Serial 170.449,900, and infGreat Britain May 7,1929.

This invention relates to signs or advertising or other display devices `adapted to be carried .bymoving vehicles.4 1 l N 1 The invention is more particularly applicable to a stop signal adapted to be mounted -on thev rear `of an automobile vehicleto indicate to the driver of a following'car that the vehicle is about to stop.

, According .to the invention, in a sign oradvertising or like display device adapted to be carried by aV vehicle, the display is moved automatically by an inertia device .on change of speed of the vehicle. In the specific embodiment of a stop signal to which refer'.-

ence has already been made, the Warning sig-V nal such as the Vword stop will be made Vis.- ible automaticallyon retardation ofv the ve,- hicle either by bringing the display into an exposed position or rockinga mirror to render it visible, or moving an electrical contact toilluminate a lamp or inany other suitable mann-er.l Y The invention, however, isl not limitedtoV suchrsignals, but maybe applied, for example, to advertising devices adapted to give a changing display according to Vvarious speeds at which the vehicle' may be moved. The invention includes a variety of means Whiclrmay be wellknown per se for rendering the display visible. It may, forl example, be applied to a form of box sign havingva swinging mirror, the mirror in known manner` being translucent so that a source of illuminationpositioned behind itr may be utilizedto illuminate the Signat night. The sign might alternatively employ a glasshaving a iigured I surface adapted to render the display visible by means of transmittedlight by day, and by light undergoing more or less complete inter-nal reection by night. Alternatively,

rocked by an inertiamember comprising `a horizontal pendulum, shown more particv ularly in Figure 3. The pendulum comprises a light from a separate source of illumination utilized by nightmay be transmittedthroughV the glass, the figured surface serving to retract it so as to illuminate the display al-l though the source of illuminationisseated olf the line of sight.

In the case of a stop signal, it is an important Afeature of the invention to provide a devi-ce which can be readily mounted on any suitable existing part of the rear of the vehicleand connected to' existing tail-lamp withoutrequiring speciall'eads to the switch board or battery of the automobile.

The invention is illustrated in' apreferre'd embodiment inFigs. 1,72 and 3 of the accom- `panying drawing which illustrate respectively a front elevation, asectional end View on the line II-II of Fig. 1, and-a sectional plan view on the line III-III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modification of the sign illustrated in Figs. 1to 3, and

Fig. 5 a further modification.

Figure 6 is a broken perspective showing the reflector operating mechanism removed from the casing., y y

Turning now to the form illustrated `in Figs. 1 to 3, the sign comprises a box-like casing 1, comprising a rear,base and side walls. The front and top.ofthe casing are provided with means of a sheet metal L- shaped attachment 2, adapted to .be secured c glass sheet 6 slidden in groovesrin 'the side walls ofthe casingl andhaving an Aupper figured surface 7 extending generallyojver thevexposed area. The guring, however,

is cutl away to leave Vclear portions in the 'shape ofletters "forming, in the caseyillus- 4trated, the word stop.

Beneath the display 6 is pivotally mounted a mirror e8 held ina metallic frame 9 pivoted to rockabout a horizontal axis within the .casing. f. .Y l

' According ltol the invention the mirror is serewl is carried by a bracket 14 mounted Veo within the casing. The arm 11is engaged by a fork-shaped member 11a mounted on the mirror casing 9, in such a manner that when the pendulum 11 swings across the casing the mirror 8 is rocked In the-form illustrated the pivotal axis of the horizontal pendulum is slightly inclined or biased in orderthat the pendulum may be so loaded as to resist movement in the 'operative direction by a slightV amountv more than the natural 'inertia ofthe weight 10, for a reason which will hereinafter appear.

A stop 15 is provided to protected the glass anel v4 from the `forward swing of the weight 10. v.The supporting armf16 of the casing is articulatedto a'supporting pillar 17 by means of a oint united by al screw bolt Y 18, so that the arm 16^c an be Set up at any desired angle.y The pillar 17 is provided at itsflowe'r end -with any suitable form of clip not shown for attachment to the frame, dumb iron, luggage grid,-or the; like of an automobile vehicle. y

It will be appreciated that if the casing 1 is set up horizontally as illustrated, the inertia weight 10 will'normally lie in the for'- ward position shown. in broken lines in Figure 2 owing to the inclination of the axis of the bar 12. The mirror will then occupy the horizontal position shown in broken lines in VFigure 2,-and the display will not be visible Y, through the glassV front '4l of the sign.

- Should, however, the speed of the vehicle diminish, the weight will move forwardly of the vehicle to the position shown in fulllines in Figure 2, so that the display 7 will be made visible through thev window 4 owing to th inclined positionvof the mirror 8.

Further, owing to the provision of the figured surfaces'in ythe display 7 it will be ren- 'dered visible at night by means of the light projected from the head lamps of a following vehicle, the rays of which, ifthey reach the display 7, will be wholly or sub- Vstantially reflected back through the mirror 8 and/window 4 byy internal reflection from the figured surfaces. rIhe inclination of the Y axis of rotation of the inertia pendulum'is preferably such that the mirror is not moved by the vehicle moving down a descending gradient of one in ten for practical purposes. For gradients steeper than this it will be little disadvantageif the display is actuated to reveal the word stop, owing to the care which is desirable in descending steeper gradients.

Y Where it is desired to provide a separate'V source -of illumination at ,night I may vide, in conjunction with the form described above, an elongated electric lamp V19, covered i proby ar'shield 20, and adapted to'project'its light obliquely on to the figured surface 7.

' Thelamp and shield 20 are, however, off the direct linel of daylight entering the upper window 5 and illuminating the display by day, the figured surface inthis case'serving to refract the light falling on it obliquely to render it visible by night, whilst leaving free access for daylight to render it visible by day. In this connection it is an important feature of the invention to provide means wherebythe lamp 19 may be. readily attached to the existing wiring of a car without the necessity of special leads carried to the switch board or battery. For this purpose I provide Y laterally Vdirected windows 27, 28, one of r.

-which illuminates the number'plate 29, and

"the other the figured surface of the stop .sign 30.

The invention is of course not limited to the forms described above, for example, the

horizontal pendulum may rotate a cylindrical mask of aluminium 4alloy having the Word -stop7 cut in it in front of a*window,and a lamp be mounted within or'behind the mask for night use. Ina further modification, the pendulum may operate a switch which may illuminate one or more lamps behind the word stop, both for day and night use. Wherev a box sign is used the mirror itself l'might bear the display and either be illuminatedfby day through a clear upper window 5, or by a lamp positioned behind the mirror kby night, the mirror'in this case being of the translucent kind, or one in which the silvering isremoved surface. Y v y Y Y Y Obviously, kother means of carrying the invention into effect will readily-occur to those Y skilled in various arts, depending more or less ony the purpose to which thesign may be put, or on the taste'of the purchaser. These, and all otherffor'ms, are intendedto be covered'by the present invention in sov far as they are covered by the appended claims.v I claim:-'- 7 Y 1. In an inertia-operated display devic intended to be carried by a vehicle, a display, a pivoted reflector in reiective cooperjation with the display, a vpivoted inertia weight, and Vconnections between said weight and said reiector such that in one position of the weight the display can beLV viewed and 'in anotheris concealed. i

2.v In an inertia-operatedV display device intended to be-carried by al vehicle, a dis- `play device of figured glass'illuminated'by daylight, incombination witha pivoted reiiector having reiective cooperation with said display device-rand an inertia weight, movement whereofrocls the'reector. i' i in regular patterns over its 3. In an inertia-operated display device Vbeing directed out through the plain glass intended to be carried by a vehicle, a dis lplate in one position of the mirror or reflectplay device in combination with a pivoted ed directly back in the other position of thereflector having reiective cooperation with mirror.

said display device, a pivoted inertia Weight to rock said reflector, and means to illuminate the display at night.

4L. In an inertia-operated display 'device intended to be carried by a vehicle, a display device of figured glass illuminated by daylight, a pivoted reflector having reiiective cooperation with the display device, an inertia weight in connection therewith, and means to illuminate the display at night.

5. In a vehicle having a rear light, a display device of gured glass illuminated by daylight, means to illuminate the display by night from said rear light, a pivoted reflector having` reflective cooperation with the display device, an inertia Weight, and connections between said weight and said reflector whereby movement of the weight moves the reflector. Y

6. In an inertia operated display device intended to be carried by a vehicle, a casing, an indicia-carrying plate forming one side of the casing, a glass plate formingran ad-k jacent side, a mirror pivotally carried in the casing, and means operated by the changes of velocity of the vehicle for moving the mirror to a ,position to reflect the rays of light passing from the indicia-carrying plate out through the glass plate.

7 In an inertia operated display device intended to be carried by a vehicle, a casing,

an indicia-carrying plate forming one side of the casing, a glass plate forming an adjacent side, a mirror pivotally carried in the casing, a horizontally swinging weight operated by the changes of velocity of the vehicle for moving the mirror to a position to reflect the rays of light Vpassing from the indicia-carrying plate out through the glass late. p 8. In an inertia operated display device intended to be carried by a vehicle, a casing, an indicia-carrying plate forming one side of the casing, a glass plate forming an adjacent side, a mirror pivotally carried in the casing, a horizontally swinging weight operated by the changes of velocity of the vehicle for moving the mirror to a position to reflect the rays of light passing from the indicia-carrying plate out through the glass plate, and means preventing said weight from being operated by very slight changesV of velocity.

9. In an inertia operated display device intended to be carried by a vehicle, a casing, an indicia-carrying plate forming one side of the casing, a glass plate forming an adjacent side, a mirror pivotally carried in the casing, and means for moving the mirror through an angle of 450,-the rays of light coming through the indicia-carrying plate In testimony whereofI aix my signature.

HAROLD JOHN TAPLIN. 

